Chefs Without Restaurants
Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who have built successful careers outside of traditional restaurant kitchens.
From personal chefs, caterers, and food truck operators to cookbook authors, research chefs, and farmers, each guest has paved their own way in the culinary world. Through candid conversations, they share the challenges, lessons, and successes of creating a business on their own terms.
With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry—including running his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites—Chris is dedicated to helping chefs and food entrepreneurs navigate their own unconventional paths in the industry.
If you're looking for inspiration, business insights, and real stories from those who have stepped beyond the restaurant world, this podcast is for you.
🎧 New episodes available—subscribe now and start exploring the road less traveled in the culinary industry!
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 259
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Story on the Pass - Telling the Back-Story of a Chef Through Their Recipes
On this episode, Chefs Without Restaurants founder Chris Spear speaks with Billy Trakas of Story on the Pass. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, Story on the Pass is aimed at revealing the backsto…
Easy Cooking Tips for Families with Chef Chris of Perfect Little Bites
This episode is a little different than the other episodes. On this episode, chef Chris Spear of Perfect Little Bites gives some easy cooking tips to a group of moms from a local MOPS (mothers of pre…
Chef Christian Blouin of Hootch & Banter Restaurant Talks Covid-19, Kitchen Culture and Culinary Inspiration
On this episode we have Christian Blouin, the executive chef of Hootch & Banter restaurant in Frederick, Maryland. Christian is the first restaurant chef we’ve had on the show. Obviously, we talk a l…
Philadelphia Chef David Pollack and His Non-Profit Organization Cooking Without Kidneys
On this episode we have David Pollack, a chef in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania region. After experiencing kidney failure in 2003, and undergoing dialysis, David finally received a kidney transplant.…
Andrew Wilkinson of Pizza Llama Talks About Adapting His Food Truck Business During Covid-19
On this episode we have Andrew Wilkinson from Pizza Llama. Most people know Andrew as the cohost of this podcast. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Andrew has taken a temporary leave from the podcast, as…
Rachel Armistead from The Sweet Farm Talks About Changing Her Business Due to Covid-19
On this episode we have Rachel Armistead from The Sweet Farm. Many people know The Sweet Farm from their fermented products such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles and ginger beer. They were the first bu…
Baker Katrice Scott of Two Sweet Bakery Talks About Her Cookie Business
On this episode we have Katrice Scott. Katrice is one half of Two Sweet, the custom confections business she started in Frederick, Maryland with her twin sister Karin.
On this episode:
· Trans…
Chef Terence Tomlin's Road to Recovery After Suffering Two Strokes and Becoming Paralyzed
On this episode we have chef Terence Tomlin. He was the executive chef at the restaurant Hawthorne in Washington DC. In November 2017 he suffered two strokes while working at the restaurant, leaving …
Distiller Mark Vierthaler of Tenth Ward Distilling Company
On this episode we have Mark A. Vierthaler. Mark is the head distiller at Tenth Ward Distilling Company in Frederick, Maryland. Some of the spirits they produce are a genever style gin, absinthe nouv…
Gettysburg Chef Josh Fidler on Cooking in a Smaller Market
On this episode we have chef Josh Fidler. Josh is a chef in the Gettysburg, Pa area. He was the chef and owner of Fidler & Co in Biglerville, and most recently consulted on the menu and kitchen at Ge…
Anthony DiGiulian on Pasta, Italian Food and Home Cooking
On this episode we have our good friend Anthony on the show. This episode is a little different. Our guest isn’t a professional chef, and doesn’t even work in a foodservice setting. He is a very seri…
Continuing The Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Things are changing every day during the Covid-19 global pandemic. We have decided to continue with our podcast, even if it means changing the format a little, and how we conduct the show. I have add…
Drew Pumphrey of The Smoking Swine BBQ and Smoked Meats Emporium
On this episode we have Drew Pumphrey. Drew is the owner of The Smoking Swine BBQ and smoked meats emporium. His food truck is based out of Baltimore, Maryland, and services the surrounding areas. He…
The Litrell Show - with Chris Spear of Perfect Little Bites
From Jason Littrell: It's a tough pill to swallow, but we're not going to be dining the way we used to in ten years. It's chefs like Chris Spear from Perfect Little Bites and Chefs without Restaurant…
Self Care for the Service Industry - A Conversation with Chef Sarah Acconcia
On this episode we have chef Sarah Acconcia. Sarah is currently employed as an in-home personal chef for a professional athlete, and is also the owner of Juniper Culinary Apothecary. Prior to that, …
We Hear You, Can You Hear Us? A Mini-Sode on Audio Quality
This is a mini episode, if you can even call it that. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our listeners...especially those who have stuck with us as we work to continually improve the show. We …
Matt Finarelli - Washington D.C. Area In-Home Culinary Instructor and Personal Chef
On this episode we have chef Matt Finarelli. He is an in-home culinary instructor and personal chef in the Washington DC area. Matt has also published a cookbook called Beyond the Red Sauce.
In this e…
Chef Cat of Just Call Me Chef on Pop-Ups, Collaborations and the Personal Chef Business
On this episode we have chef Cat. She is a personal chef in Baltimore, MD, the founder of the organization Just Call Me Chef, and is a board member for The Food Project.
In this episode:
· The…
On Writing Cookbooks and Making Pie - A Conversation with Author and Recipe Developer Cathy Barrow
On this episode we have Cathy Barrow. Cathy is a food writer, cooking teacher and pie maker. Barrow writes the “BRING IT” column in the Washington Post’s Food section. She has written for the New Yor…
The Patreon Mini-Sode and Funding Our Organization
This is what we’re calling The Patreon Mini-sode. We hope everyone loves what we’re doing with both the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, and organization. We want to keep the organization free for…